Drops> stand ups > one big target = Stern “good cost cutting measure” of the month award.

That sounds suspiciously like the Gary Stern mandate circa 2004ish that everyone should be able to see all the pin features every game. Ask Keith what he thought of that. Resulted in a bunch of very forgettable, dare I say crappy, pins.

I totally agree. Those side targets and drop targets on games are always so frustrating and never very satisfying......to me at least.

Disagree. Can you imagine how lame TWD would be if instead of hitting 3 separate drops for food, weapons, and first aid it was just one enormous target that you had to hit repeatedly that rotated between the 3 rewards. Or if ACDC didn't have drops and stand-ups but rather long single targets that you shot the cannon at. Those large single targets are lame and don't reward accuracy. I do think that besides that though Munsters looks great.

My thought is that this could be due to all the exposure pinball is getting right now especially from celebrities like Jeffrey Star, rock band members and even guys like Jeff Goldblum and Dr. Phil. People who have not even considered pinball before are now wondering if they are missing out on something. I'm just speculating, but to me it feels like *that* is who Stern is going after - hooking noobs into pinball in order to try to grow the hobby even more.

Could always throw a set of those in there....good idea!

Remakes for the win ! 100%

Yeah, me too. I hate having multiple things to shoot at when I play pinball.

My dealer just told me my LE should ship first week of February

Not really. The right oblong target keeps the Lily mode more accessible for new players. The left target has way more inserts than there could be targets.

Rob

Possible but i was told that's when they go on the line so I'd expect the second week to start shipping

Okay. If that's the case give the Pros the monobars and the Prem/LEs drop targets and stand up targets.

I'm not on the list to buy however I have played it two consecutive days at Game Exchange. It plays smooth very similar Playfield layout as TWD. The pro cabinet art and Translate are my favorite. I'm comparing it to TWD and it just feels kind of cheap in comparison! No drop targets that's a huge negative for me so I'm out i think unless I win one in the raffle.

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Do any HOMEOWNERS own a pro yet? Not barcades, dealers, etc.. True homeowners.

No. It will be a couple weeks.

Lily would have been more interesting and difficult as standups.

Dragula would have been great as 4 drops with 3 standups found behind them.

You would really hate The Hobbit then

With all the cost cutting I’ll bet we never see Stern do something like this. Cool idea though.

I like the way you think...

And to think in 1951 Gottlieb's Minstrel Man had a stand up target with a drop target behind it!

In Wayne Neyens interview he said that he always put more stuff in a game, because the accountant would always try and get him to remove stuff.

Seems like, nothing changes!

If say, having one target instead of several, that could be a saving of $20 per game. If they sell 3000, that's over half a million bucks.

I think they’re trying to nail down the w/b classic strategy: the game should be moderately challenging and easy to learn. This game seems to be on par with TAF crossed with MB, which are two of the most popular pinball machines of all time. I commend the strategy, but the big difference is in innovation: w/b always brought something new to the table. Mun pro lacks this completely. The premium looks to be great though. Can’t wait to play it.

Definitely a bummer. We all love drop targets and spinners and every game should have them imo. I dont like the fuel target on MET and like someone said earlier i definitely couldn't imagine a target like this on TWD. These long all in one targets are cheap and not fun. If anything they should ar least make it so that we could buy some drops and install them ourselves and make it so they are plug and play.

AC/DC LE and Premium models have the TNT drops with the single detonator target behind them, so Stern has done this recently. I don't think it would have been too hard to to 4 drops with 3 targets behind them. The Dragula lettering and art on the long monotarget does look cool to me, but man... it's gonna be super easy to hit. I actually don't even think you'd have to try to hit it much at all. It seems like ricocheting balls would simply take care of it for you by chance in most cases.

Its NEARLY a big part of my decision to buy or not.....yes it could come down to that ( for me ). Love the theme, the art, the clips and PF overall. But these targets and shallow code ( at this stage ) now have me re thinking.

One shot up a ramp to get Marilyn as well?.
Surely this can be adjusted to be a LOT tougher?

Im with John and others....The large Target actually bothers me.
I think of the brilliance in TWD, where the drops, and the code make the game...One has to time and hit drops.
In this case, its almost impossible to miss, and code triggered by this will become mundane....It will simply happen without trying.

Most certainly a Very Good Game, but the tossup between whats fun, whats strategy, and what comes from seasoned play at home
for me, is the key.

A recent addition, POTC, is stunning and fun, but easy. I wont play it as much, but it suits my wife.
TWD, DI, are a constant challenge, and keep me coming back....Points, as a non competing player dont matter to me, but
I like a challenge, with my fun....

There is zero doubt that the large targets are cost cutting (both the BOM and assembly time and programming for fewer switches)
The large targets are not as fun to shoot at either.

This is just another thing that Stern has been doing to see what the community pushes back on. They started with one big target on a few games and now we get 2.

large target for Dragulais fine, BUT not having drops for Lily on the Premium and LE's is just disgraceful....

Shallow code for home owners and tournament players, I feel that this aweome game might ware thin fast.

Please Stern/Dwight give this game a quick rethink.

Easy? You must be a really good player no one on the potc threads has ever called it easy .

Holy Crap we are up to page 112 without games even being shipped yet...The hype is strong on this one Batman.

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What is the consensus of all protection measures will we need to add to this game as far as Mylar, Cliffy's, ball drops?

Looks fun— I’ll find it on location — but I think I’ll keep my Shrek. I’m afraid the lower play field will feel like a been there, done that to me. Also, I watched Munsters growing up but the Addams family was the better show. I’d rather own TAF. I hope it’s gets a remake someday.

I hope they make TAF as well that's one pin I wish I had back in my collection!

You know I think you were the first person to put SHREK into the conversation (as referring to the mini playfield). Everyone else says the mini playfield is like Family Guy 2 and they totally forgot about Shrek. I actually like Shrek better than Family Guy. Glad you are enjoying it.

Are there any games that have ever been released that a stand up target actually felt like a satisfying shot?

I know it's not a way to cut costs, but how cool would it be to have a 3 target, like in SM going into Sandman, drop and then have 1 moving target that you'd need to hit. That would be a nice enhancement in my opinion.

We might see another SM reskin before too long, what with Far from home coming out after Avengers Endgame next year, with sandman, hydroman and Moltonman featured along with Mysterio.

With enough LEs sold to prompt Stern to raise the number to 600 any gripes people have about diminishing build quality or weaker features like target banks vs individual drop targets, etc isn't being reflected in demand.

In my opinion there's no justification for the LE/Prems not having drop targets, but it won't matter or change until such time as the market decides it isn't going to tolerate it.

I'm not sure anyone in US can source the WCS moving target mech. It is cool! Hey Thunderbirds has one!

Sterns? 30-45 minute games, most of the time getting 90% of modes completed.
TWD, Rarely will I get a game that long, or Dialed in...
Games like LOTR, WH2O, even IM, I really like, but know I have to put an Hour aside.
WNBJM....Quick 10-15 minute games.....A quickie, and Im satisfied.
Kinda like Sex.
Especially over 55!

IM an hour game? Did you close the outlanes entirely? Maybe you compete with Bowen/Keith/etc.

I owned the title for years and it was brutal...lucky to have a 5-10 minute game.

1000 thumbs up if I could. Most obvious design flaw in the game for sure. I don’t really like (but understand) the Dragula target. But it is very easy to complete without trying and provides near zero challenge. Doesn’t help that the Dragula animation is one of the weakest in the game and yet one you see over and over.

I'm wondering if that is a holding animation at the minute ? Code update will replace it ? I agree it really stuck out when I was playing the game, and you see it *a lot*

Not at all....I dont play well enough, (No idea on competitive scoring techniques) but can hit the ramps and orbits over and over. Cant hit Xmen Ramps, GB Ramps, TWD as consistently...dont know.
Sure, some games I choke, but I enjoy everything about IM, and Ill keep playing. I cant do it every time, but often enough...
Last night, were 2 games, over a 1 Hour TV show.
Also helps that the games are on Blue Sliders, so nudging is easy and exaggerated, but I need those to move games constantly.

I dont enjoy the Competitive Game playing, but I guess maybe 47 years of playing helps.
When egged to play in a tournament, I can hold my own OK, though, but not as good as Keith, or other really Good players.

If I was on the fence those targets would be a deal breaker for sure.

Not sure why everyone looks for what is missing in every new Stern. Not every game is going to have the exact same ingredients and that would get boring. There is already a huge amount of complaints of fan layouts that look similar to other games. Every game has limitations due to cost. I see a lot on the pro including magnet, bash toys, spinner, pop up Spot thing, full light show, metal ramps, and more. For todays standards, that's not bad. Looks like the fancy lower playfield ate up all the premium costs. I do agree that huge, impossible to miss, targets is not appealing but think Stern is shooting for a simpler game this time. Think Monster Bash. Hopefully, the code will be perfected and not just called "finished" after a few basic updates. I think that is where Stern falls short most of the time regardless of layout, theme, art, etc. Some games get polished and go from mediocre to great. Some just get to mediocre and called done. Others seem to be completely forgotten. There doesn't seem to be any standards when it comes to code.

Honestly, those targets aren’t a big deal. The rest of the game looks amazing. This little detail is the stinker, but it likely won’t affect the fun factor at all.

I’ll still be dropping pockets full of quarters into the Premium that my local arcade just ordered.

I think he means Iron Maiden?

Because they cut more and more features while raising prices?

Zero doubt? Were you sitting in on the game design meetings at Stern?

Yes, the mono target reduces assembly time and reduces the number of switch inputs which ultimately reduce overall cost and complexity but that isn't the only reason to use them. Perhaps the game designer wanted to use the larger target because he preferred how the game played with them.

On the SWL podcast the Munsters design team said they wanted a more approachable game for less experienced players and the mono targets certainly help with that objective.

The fact that it reduced the cost slightly might just be an extra benefit and provides a larger budget to keep other features (spot under stairs, RGB lighting, Dragula car, moving Herman, etc) on the pro version.

So many Debbie Downer's on here assuming every decision made by Stern is purely to maximize profit with no other criteria.

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My mistake I assumed you were talking about JJP potc .